Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 22:2
Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain [men are] not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
2. full of stirs ] R.V. full of shoutings. joyous city ] jubilant city, as ch. Isa 32:13. A festive disposition seems to have characterised the inhabitants of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s time; cf. also ch. Isa 5:14. That their gladness on this occasion was “the forced gaiety of despair” is indicated by nothing in the passage; it was due to the sense of relief from imminent peril.
thy slain battle ] Jerusalem’s warriors have not met a glorious death on the battle-field, but have been taken prisoners and ignominiously executed (see Isa 22:3). Some critics, however, take this clause and the next verse as the description of a vision which the prophet has of the future. On that view, which is plausible enough, it would be more natural to think of deaths from famine and pestilence (Lam 4:9).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Thou that art full of stirs – Of tumult, of commotion, of alarm. Or, perhaps, this whole description may mean that it was formerly a city distinguished for the hum of business, or for pleasure; a busy, active, enterprising city. The Hebrew will bear this, but I prefer the former interpretation, as indicating mingled alarm and consternation, and at the same time a disposition to engage in riot and revelry.
A joyous city – A city exulting; rejoicing; given to pleasure, and to riot. (See the description of Nineveh in Zep 2:15) It is remarkable that the prophet has blended these things together, and has spoken of the tumult, the alarm, and the rejoicing, in the same breath. This may be either because it was the general character of the city thus to be full of revelry, dissipation, and riot, and he designates it by that which usually and appropriately described it; or because it was, even then, notwithstanding the general consternation and alarm, given up to revelry, and the rather on account of the approaching danger. So he describes the city in Isa 22:12-13.
Thy slain men are not slain with the sword – The words thy slain here ( chalalayika), seem to be intended to be applied to the soldiers on whom the defense of the city rested; and to mean those who had not died an honorable death in the city in its defense, but who had fled in consternation, and who were either taken in their flight and made captive, or who were pursued and put to death. To be slain with the sword here is equivalent to being slain in an honorable engagement with the enemy. But here the prophet speaks of their consternation, their cowardice, and of their being partly trampled down in their hasty and ignominious flight by each other; and partly of the fugitives being overtaken by the enemy, and thus put to death.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Thou art full of stirs; or, thou who wast full of stirs, or noises, to wit, of joyful shouts, as the following words limit it, and as this word is used, Zec 4:7, though elsewhere it be taken for doleful cries.
Tumultuous; or, streperous; full of noise and clamour, through revelling and jollity. See Pro 20:1; Zec 9:15.
Not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle, but either by famine or pestilence in the siege, as many died, Jer 14:18; 38:2, or in their flight, as others were; both which were inglorious kinds of death.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. artrather, “wert”;for it could not now be said to be “a joyous city”(Isa 32:13). The cause oftheir joy (Isa 22:13)may have been because Sennacherib had accepted Hezekiah’s offer torenew the payment of tribute, and they were glad to have peace on anyterms, however humiliating (2Ki18:14-16), or on account of the alliance with Egypt. If thereference be to Zedekiah’s time, the joy and feasting are notinapplicable, for this recklessness was a general characteristic ofthe unbelieving Jews (Isa 56:12).
not slain with the swordbutwith the famine and pestilence about to be caused by the coming siege(La 4:9). MAURERrefers this to the plague by which he thinks Sennacherib’sarmy was destroyed, and Hezekiah was made sick (Isa 37:36;Isa 38:1). But there is noauthority for supposing that the Jews in the city suffered suchextremities of plague at this time, when God destroyed theirfoes. BARNES refers it tothose slain in flight, not in open honorable “battle”;Isa 22:3 favors this.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou art full of stirs,…. Or, “wast full of stirs”; through the multitude of people walking about in it, and the vast hurry of business done in it; but now all hush and quiet, the streets clear of people, and the shops shut up, and all got up to the housetops for shelter; or, “full of noises” l, as a populous trading city is. The word signifies shoutings and acclamations, and is used for joyful ones, Zec 4:7 and may be so taken here, and may design such as were expressed at their festivals, and on other occasions; unless it is to be understood of doleful ones, on account of the invasion and siege:
a tumultuous city; through the throng of people, and the noise of thorn:
a joyous city; some on business, others on pleasure; some hurrying from place to place about their trade and commerce, and others amusing themselves with pastime, mirth, and jollity; which is commonly the case of populous cities in prosperity. This had been Jerusalem’s case, but now it was otherwise:
thy slain [men] are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle; for Sennacherib never entered into it, nor put any of its inhabitants to the sword; nor was there any battle fought between them, nor was he suffered so much as to shoot an arrow into it, Isa 37:33 wherefore those that died in it died either through the fright and consternation they were put into, or through the famine his army had caused, in laying the country round about them desolate.
l “plena strepitibus”, Munster; “tumultuationibus”, Montanus, Junius Tremellius “fragoribus”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Thou that art full of noises. He means that it was exceedingly populous; for where great multitudes of people are brought together, noise abounds; and therefore, amidst so crowded a population, there was less cause of fear. In order to make the representation still more striking, Isaiah has therefore added this circumstance, that instead of being, as they ought to have been, walls and bulwarks to defend the city, when there was no scarcity of men, they ignominiously turned their backs on the enemies, and fled to the tops of their houses. By these words he urges the Jews more strongly to consider the judgment of God; for when such overwhelming fear has seized the hearts of men, it is certain that God has struck them with trembling; as if he had said, “How comes it that you have not greater firmness to resist? It is because God pursues and chases you.”
These statements are taken from the writings of Moses, from which, as we have frequently remarked, the prophets borrow their instructions, but with this difference, that what Moses spoke in general terms they apply to the matter in hand.
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The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them, and shalt flee seven ways before them. The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart.” (Deu 28:25.)
He reproaches the Jews for their distressed condition, and with good reason; for it was proper to press the accusation more closely home, that they might learn to ascribe to their sins and transgressions all the afflictions and sufferings that they endured. The Lord had promised that he would continually assist them; and when they are now left destitute, let them acknowledge that they do not deserve such assistance, and that God has cast them off on account of their rebelliousness. The Lord does not deceive or make false promises, but by their own fault those wretched persons have shut themselves out from his aid and favor; and this is still more strongly expressed by the question, What hast thou here? It means that God gave practical evidence that Jerusalem had been deprived of her protector and guardian; for this mode of expression denotes something strange and extraordinary.
Thy slain men are not slain by the sword. To exhibit still more clearly the vengeance of God, he affirms that they who were slain there did not die bravely in battle. Thus he shews that all that they wanted was manly courage; for a timid and cowardly heart was a sure proof that they had all been forsaken by the Lord, by whose assistance they would have bravely and manfully resisted. He therefore does not mean that the defeat would be accompanied by shame and disgrace, but ascribes it to the wrath of God that they had not courage to resist; and unquestionably by this circumstance he beats down their foolish pride.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) A joyous city . . .It would seem from Isa. 32:13 as if this was the characteristic on which Jerusalem, like Athens afterwards (Thucyd. ii. 40), specially prided itself.
Thy slain men are not slain with the sword . . .The words imply something like a reproach of cowardice. Those who had perished had not died fighting bravely in battle, but by the pestilence which then, as at all times, was prevalent in the crowded streets of a besieged city.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Thy slain men Or, men destined to perish, as the prophet sees a dire siege at hand.
Not slain with the sword Not to have this honour. They will die inside, not in battle; or, they will die as captives, far away.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 22:2 Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain [men are] not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
Ver. 2. Thou that art full of stirs. ] Clamoribus fragosis, a How soon hast thou changed thy cheer and thy note? thy joyful acclamations into doleful exclamations?
Thy slain men are not slain with the sword.
“ Non tibi Tindaridis facies invisa Lacaenae,
Culpatusve Paris; verum inclcmcntia divum
Has evertit opes. ” – Virgil.
a Strepera [?Strepitus.]
b Joseph., lib. vii. cap. 16.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
stirs = outcries. Referring to the time of this prophecy.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
that art: Isa 22:12, Isa 22:13, Isa 23:7, Isa 32:13, Amo 6:3-6
thy slain: Isa 37:33, Isa 37:36, Jer 14:18, Jer 38:2, Jer 52:6, Lam 2:20, Lam 4:9, Lam 4:10
Reciprocal: Isa 14:11 – pomp Lam 1:1 – full Eze 26:13 – General Zep 2:15 – the rejoicing
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
22:2 Thou that art full of {c} shoutings, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain [men are] not slain {d} with the sword, nor dead in battle.
(c) Which was wont to be full of people and joy.
(d) But for hunger.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Such rejoicing was inappropriate, however, because Isaiah saw in his vision that they would fall to an enemy, not because of combat but starvation. This happened when the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took it in 586 B.C. (cf. 2Ki 25:3-4; Jer 52:6). Jerusalem, as well as Babylon, would fall (cf. Isa 2:6-22; Isa 21:1-10).